Protect Private Enterprise

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 175, 21 April 1937, Page 13

Protect Private Enterprise

Sir, —Mr. Hamilton has.asked the supporters of the National Party to supply the leaders with a policy. As I am one of his supporters I would like to suggest the nucleus of a policy based on conclusions I have reached after a good deal of study and discussion. It is a common belief that the National Party stands for the principle of Capitalism, and the Labour Party that of Socialism. The two principles are regarded as being directly opposed to each other. I will try and show that this clash of rival doctrines should find no place. in New Zealand. It is true that the political manifestoes of the National Party speak rather of private enterprise than Capitalism, but the public has not been told how to distinguish the two. Socialism is a doctrine formulated, as an alternative to intensive Capitalism such as that of America, Great Britain and Germany. As is well known, owing to the growth of giant trusts in these countries, private enterprise becomes every year more restricted. Intensive Capitalism is, however, unknown to us here in New Zealand. In New Zealand, with its wide distribution of property in town and country. private enterprise is of primary importance. What then should be the policy of the National Party? It should be to define what they mean by private enterprise. In other words, they should formulate a policy to protect the rights of the small producer in town and country. The individualism and freedom which have bad so much to do with moulding the British character could thus be preserved. The bureaucracy which “The Dominion” deplores would be checked. The working man would never feel oppressed in an economic system where he had the chance of himself becoming an independent producer. I cannot in the space to which I must necessarily confine myself discuss all the implications of this policy. When, however, this method of preserving individualism is grasped, it will not be difficult to draw up a policy as attractive as Socialism and far more practical.— I am, etc., TRUE FREEDOM. Wellington, April 19.